A good piece by R. M. Campbell on the prevailing unease experienced by arts managers of major Seattle arts organizations, including some budget data and deficit projections for the 2001-02 fiscal year:<P> <A HREF="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/60483_arts04.shtml" TARGET=_blank>http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/60483_arts04.shtml</A>

Melinda Bargreen reports in the Seattle Times that PONCHO is pulling back on discretionary grants to smaller Seattle arts organizations in favor of focusing available resources on the major institutional organizations. PONCHO is one of the major sources of arts funding in the Seattle area; the other is the Corporate Council for the Arts/Arts Fund. Awards from PONCHO, which arrive only when an organization has successfully completed a thorough application/review/interview process, tend to be viewed as a litmus test by other funders. In the instance of the loss of $3,000 cited in the article, I would argue that it is not the loss of $3,000 that will hurt as much as the loss of the coveted stamp of approval conferred by passing muster with the PONCHO or CCA process.

The Seattle Times has featured several intriguing articles on the state of arts funding in Seattle in 2003 and a comprehensive chart of the major Seattle arts organizations, their most recent budget year statistics, and their prospects for the current fiscal year.

Melinda Bargreen has two articles (published sequentially on Saturday, January 25 and Sunday, January 26) on the general state of affairs:

A third article catalogues the funding prospects of the three major area public funding agencies: the Washington State Arts Commission, the King County Arts Commission, and the Seattle Arts Commission; plus the two major sources of corporate and private funding: the Corporate Council for the Arts/Arts Fund and PONCHO (Patrons of Northwest Cultural and Charitable Organizations).

CCA/Arts Fund operates like a United Way umbrella organization for the arts. PONCHO's money comes primarily from a high profile auction held in the spring and a wine auction in the fall.

Officials at A Contemporary Theater in Seattle, a respected regional troupe with some 9,000 subscribers and a history of acclaimed productions, were trying yesterday to fix a financial crisis that could shut their 38-year-old nonprofit theater. <a href=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/20/arts/theater/20ACT.html target=_blank>more</a>

The April 20, 2003 Seattle Times featured a group of reports focused on midsized arts organizations. Melinda Bargreen writes the lead article; please note the four "related stories" in the box on the right side of the screen. The third choice features commentary on three dance companies: Spectrum Dance Theatre, Pat Graney Dance, and 33 Fainting Spells.

PONCHO (Patrons of Northwest Civic, Cultural and Charitable Organizations) has announced its principal round of funding for 2003-04. PONCHO raises most of its money from its annual Spring auction with a second round of funding based on proceeds from its wine auction in October. The organization announced last year that it would cut the number of organizations receiving funds (e.g., the small and midsized organizations) to concentrate its funding on the major regional arts institutions. The roster of award recipients is in line with this revised set of priorities:

A front-page article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer regarding the difficulty of raising funds for any and all nonprofit organizations in the current economic climate. PNB is not included among the organizations studied; arts organizations in the study include A Contemporary Theatre (ACT), Bellevue Art Museum, the Corporate Council for the Arts (a "United Way" for Puget Sound regional arts organizations); Seattle Art Museum; Seattle Opera; and the Seattle Symphony:

Tina Potterf reports on the 2003 annual meeting of ArtsFund (formerly known as the Corporate Council for the Arts, one of the big funding sources for Seattle arts) held Thursday, October 23, 2003 at McCaw Hall:

ArtsFund awards to large arts organizations are increasing for 2004-05. In the Seattle Times, Melinda Bargreen reports on the good news, including award amounts for Seattle Opera, Seattle Symphony, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Seattle Repertory Theatre:

In the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, R. M. Campbell discusses the status of several major Seattle arts organizations at the June 30, 2004 close of the fiscal year. In particular, he notes that Pacific Northwest Ballet has eliminated its $1.2 million deficit from last season and restored its $580,000 cash reserve, largely on the strength of increased box office sales and the bounce generated by interest in the new McCaw Hall:

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